


Fealty

by HannaM



Category: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-01 23:59:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2792420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaM/pseuds/HannaM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Ephraim was not the man Kyle expected to serve. He was even better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fealty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [simply_shipping](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simply_shipping/gifts).



Prince Ephraim was reckless.  
  
Kyle had come from nothing, his only asset his discipline and strength. He had begun training to be a knight of Renais because it was the highest he could rise with his skills, and he was grateful for what the royal family had done for him and his family.  
  
When word spread amongst the soldiers that their Prince was to train with them, there was some apprehension, but Kyle was pleased and a little excited. This Prince understood he could not ride on the merits of his forefathers, and must earn his subjects' loyalty and respect through deeds, which meant he must be able to defend himself.  
  
It was true, for the most part. Prince Ephraim was solemn and collected when he was introduced to the guard. General Seth offered him each weapon in turn, and the Prince tried them each before deciding he would start with the lance.  
  
But when it came to sparring, the Prince always charged straight on at his opponent, throwing himself into the fight with such exuberance that it was easy to predict his every move far in advance and disarm him rapidly. Kyle didn't think the Prince ever bothered to think about what he was doing at all. Worse yet, every time Kyle disarmed him, the Prince made a frustrated sound and stalked off.  
  
It was strange. According to General Seth, Prince Ephraim had taken to the drills well and was proceeding nicely at forms. But he dropped them all the minute he engaged with an opponent.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it," Forde said, when Kyle brought it up. "Not everybody's born with a head for strategy like you."  
  
"Is that why you've been letting him win?" Kyle said sourly.  
  
"He's just starting out. He needs encouragement."  
  
Kyle frowned. "He gets enough of that from the rest of you. If he thinks he's that good, he'll stop trying to improve."  
  
Forde shrugged, much to Kyle's irritation. It was all very well for him. Combat was as second nature to Forde. He never seemed to be training when Kyle was around, and yet he was always a step ahead. But Kyle was grateful, for he was always striving to live up to the example that Forde set, that General Seth set.  
  
So he refused to go easy on the Prince, no matter how uncomfortable it made the others.   
  
"I think you have the right idea," Franz, Forde's younger brother said once in passing, "but you know you might actually be discouraging him?"  
  
Kyle glared at him, and Franz abruptly decided that he had to go shine all the shields.  
  
The Prince was improving, regardless. He could hit targets with a javelin now, and was rarely out of breath. He was, in fact, good enough now that he could have had a decent workout sparring with Forde if Forde made an effort, which made it all the more irritating to Kyle when Forde picked up an iron sword and gave the advantage to the prince once again.  
  
After Forde yielded and went to clean up, the prince turned to look at Kyle, who had been watching the match with his jaw set.   
  
"Why do you hate me?"  
  
That took Kyle by surprise."Why should I hate you, your highness?"   
  
Prince Ephraim laughed. "Well, I don't know. That's why I'm asking. You've been giving me a hard time since I started training."  
  
It galled Kyle to realize that Franz might have been closer to the truth than he'd known. "It isn't personal," he said brusquely. "Your highness is just beginning to learn. All novices must learn by example. You will learn very little if everyone you face throws the match because of your birthright."  
  
The prince stared at him, and frowned. "You mean to say they've all been doing that?"  
  
He hadn't realized. Of course he hadn't realized, he was too inexperienced to tell.   
  
Prince Ephraim sighed. "I've misjudged you, Kyle. I thought you were deliberately humiliating me in front of your friends, but it seems you were the only one to take my intentions seriously. Thank you, for treating me with respect."  
  
He left, and Kyle stared at his retreating back.   
  
Prince Ephraim spent longer hours drilling and observing the cavaliers sparring after that. He was still impulsive in action, but his discipline was admirable, and there was no doubt he was learning from his mistakes.  
  
He also begun sparring almost exclusively with Kyle.  
  
Forde caught on quickly, and stopped throwing matches, much to his credit. Most of the others never did, because the prince was becoming proficient enough to disarm Kyle now.  
  
Forde continued to hold his own, though, and Prince Ephraim now watched every match between Forde and Kyle. There began to be a kind of comradarie between the three of them-- the prince was respectful and pleasant with the others, but warm and even at times playful with Forde and Kyle.  
  
Kyle began to think that he had misjudged Prince Ephraim as well.  
  
Prince Ephraim was often impulsive, yes, and at times bordering on arrogant, but he was no fool, and never too proud to listen to a well reasoned argument. When Kyle suggested that he study tactics as well as weaponry, it was added immediately to the royal lesson plan.  
  
"My sister has more of a head for strategy than I do," Prince Ephraim said, between bouts. "But I think perhaps it isn't right for her to only learn the theory alongside me and not the practical exercise. If anything were to happen to me…"  
  
"It cannot hurt for the Princess Eirika to learn how to defend herself," Kyle supplied. "Though I doubt it will be necessary."  
  
"Fate can be a funny thing," remarked Forde. "I would give her the choice."  
  
It was not long after Princess Eirika's lessons begun with the rapier (as taught personally by her brother and General Seth) that dark rumors of Grado begun to surface. And if rumor was persistent enough to reach the soldiers' ears, it was more than likely that even more troubling news was being whispered in the King's ear.  
  
Prince Ephraim had grown pensive. Kyle knew him well enough now to suspect there was some inner dilemma he was struggling with. Finally, one night, Kyle received word to meet with the prince in secret at the edge of the castle town.  
  
Forde was there too, as well as Sir Orson, a paladin that Kyle did not know so well as General Seth. However, it was clear that Prince Ephraim trusted him, and Kyle had faith in his liege's judgement of character.   
  
The plan was mad. It had the hallmarks of everything that had frustrated Kyle about Prince Ephraim at the start-- it sounded glorious and dramatic but would in reality be grueling and likely result in more pain than profit.   
  
But Prince Ephraim was prepared. He had put together a convoy of supplies that more than adequately covered the projected length of the journey to Grado and back. He had maps of all potential areas with inns, shops and fortresses carefully marked. What was more, he had information about Grado's movements that Kyle had not heard, deeply troubling information, from convincing sources.  
  
The four of them set out that very night.


End file.
